Process for the production of a covering similar to linoleum



May 8, 1934. H, BAUM 1,957,434

PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A COVERING SIMILAR TO LINOLEUM Filed NOV. 29. 1932 Th 1 v w LTELJTHLL KIJL'HU"YH1AAMMWIA'I I N Patented May 8, 1934 UNIT Fries AT E PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A COVERING SIMILAR TO LINOLEUM Hermann Baum, Zurich, Switzerland 1 Claim.

Linoleum is generally produced by rolling ground cork admixed with oxidized linseed oil in hot condition onto a support, such as jute. If the finished covering has to be of a particu- 5 larly light color, disintegrated wood is used besides or instead of the ground cork. By the admixing of disintegrated wood the elasticity of the finished linoleum mass is reduced, whereas the exclusive employment of ground cork increases the cost of production.

Weather-proof cardboards have also been produced with the aid of impregnating substances, such as linseed oil, tar or the like, designed to serve as covering instead of linoleum or lincrusta. Fibrous substances, as commonly used for the production of cardboard, are added to the impregnating substance. In such known processes the oxidized material is ground between smooth metal cylinders which rotate rapidly at different speeds. Thus a pulp-like mass is obtained which, if necessary, is further diluted by the addition of turpentine or the like. The pulp must then be subsequently treated on a cardboard machine and united with the fabric support. Owing to the extraordinary stickiness of the pulp, all machine parts coming in touch with the same, for instance the rolls, must be powdered or oiled in order to prevent the mass from sticking.

' The invention has for its object to produce a cheap linoleum. This covering is produced by steeping paper or fabric webs in a linseed oil or linseed oil paint bath whereupon the shaped and completely dried and squeezed mass is again subjected to a final drying, then finely ground and finally finished in the usual manner by hot pressing without pre-heating, and at the same time united with a suitable support. An important advantage consists in that the rolling machine, which serves for the finishing of the product, need not be protected by complicated means against sticking of the material to be worked. A particular advantage of the new process consists in that the mass is fed to the pressure rolls in cold condition, only so much heat as is necessary for uniting the mass with the support being supplied by the rolls to the mass. The finished covering therefore cools in a very short time and is then ready for use.

' As, according to the invention, instead of cork, webs of paper or fabric which are cheap in spite of being specially prepared are used for the manu facturing of the linoleum-like covering, the price of the finished product is considerably lower than the price of linoleum.

Experiments have shown that the covering produced according to the invention possesses less heat conducting capability than linoleum and is, besides, extraordinarily resistant against mechanical damages. The production is carried out in detail in the following manner. A long web or length of newspaper or fabric is drawn through a container which is filled with a mixture of linseed oil and a small quantity of a siccative. The web of paper or fabric impregnated with linseed oil is then hung up so that the linseed oil can oxidize. As soon as a sufiicient degree of dryness has been attained, the impregnated web is again drawn through a bath of linseed oil. such as infusorial silica, litharge, finely ground waste of wood or straw, cereals, legumes, chalks, resins, are contained besides a suificient quantity of siccative. After this second impregnation, the web of paper or fabric is again hung up and dried.

When the drying has progressed so far, that no oil-skins are formed when rubbed, the web is pressed together. Bundles of web may be passed through a squeezer or slowly running mill to be squeezed or torn into irregular small pieces. These small pieces are submitted to a drying process by spreading out in a thin layer. In order to obtain a uniform consistency of the mixture in spite of the fibrous substances which adhere to the individual particles, the particles are run through a so-called fold breaker with a channel extending therefrom, the mass from this channel passes with a support of paper, fabric or the like between a pair of heated rollers and is thereby finished.

A machine for carrying out this new manufacturing process is illustrated diagrammatically in the only figure of the accompanying drawing.

The web of paper or fabric, having dried after it has come out of the oil paint bath, is fed at I between the fold breaking cylinders 1 and 1. These cylinders 1 and 1 have acute angular teeth on their circumferences and the teeth of the two cylinders intermesh. If the cylinders are rotated in opposite directions, as indicated by the arrows, the fibrous mass pressed together is broken alternately in opposite direction. A channel 2 extends from the cylinders and is designed to receive the mass 8 broken into folds 3. The folded mass 8 accumulates in this channel 2 and is therefore preliminarily compressed. Below the discharge end 6 of channel 2 a pair of adjustable, heated pressure rolls 4, 4 is arranged, between which rolls the mass passes when delivered from In this bath filling substances,

the channel 2. A support 5 of suitable material, such as jute fabric or paper, is fed to the pair of rolls 4. The folded and compressed mass and the support 5 are united by the pressure of the heated rolls 4 to form the finished covering 7.

I claim:

A process for the production of linoleum like covering, consisting in passing a web of paper or fabric through a bath of linseed oil containing a small quantity of siccative, in hanging up the 

